These gluten-free and keto turkey meatballs are made with lean ground turkey, almond meal, fresh grated Parmesan, egg, and a handful of seasonings. They’re quick, easy, fueling, and delicious. And they’re sure to become a family favorite!
During marathon training, I made these meatballs almost every week before my long runs. When I know I’m going to have a busy week, I whip some of these meatballs up ahead of time and store them in the freezer for a quick defrost dinner. And anytime I have company at my house, I am sure to make a batch of these crowd-pleasers.
And when there are turkey meatballs, a fresh bowl of spaghetti topped with healthy marinara sauce is sure to follow. It really is the perfect pairing.
This recipe for turkey meatballs was originally written in September 2020. We updated this blog post in February 2024 to include new/updated photos, an ingredient list, clearer directions, storage tips, suggestions for what to eat with this dish, and a frequently asked questions section. We hope you find the update helpful!
Ingredients
- Ground turkey – 93% lean ground turkey is the perfect light option that will stay moist and flavorful when pan seared.
- Almond meal – nutrient dense almond meal replaces traditional breadcrumbs as a binding agent, making this recipe both gluten-free and keto friendly! Plus it adds extra depth to these meatballs.
- Parmesan – for a nutty, lightly salty flavor boost.
- Egg (optional) – to help with binding if the almond meal isn’t enough. Adds a little extra dose of protein and fats.
- Seasonings – simple seasonings and herbs, like fresh parsley and garlic, dried oregano, and salt and pepper round out the flavor profile.
- Extra virgin olive oil – for pan-searing.
How to Make Turkey Meatballs
Step 1: Prepare the Meatballs
If you’re going to prepare your own almond meal, do so before starting this recipe.
Combine all the meatball ingredients, except the olive oil and egg, in a large mixing bowl. Depending on the brand of turkey that you use, you may have either a wetter or drier mixture at this point. For more moist ground turkey omit the egg. For drier ground turkey, add the egg to help everything bind together.
Form the mixture into meatballs. This recipe yields approximately 16 meatballs. Set the meatballs on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate while you get the pan hot.
Step 2: Cook the Meatballs
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs and cook on one side 2 to 3 minutes, until browned. Turn the meatballs over and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat this process until all sides of the meatballs are browned. In total, it may take 8-10 minutes for the meatballs to be cooked through.
To check if the meatballs are done, cut one meatball in half and check that the meat is no longer pink. You can also use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached 160℉.
Remove the meatballs from heat and tent with foil to rest for 3-4 minutes to finish cooking and to lock in moisture. During this time the meatballs will continue to cook and will reach an internal temperature of 165℉. Serve with fresh pasta and marinara sauce for a complete dinner. Enjoy!
How to Store
- Refrigerate – store leftover turkey meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze – you can freeze cooked or raw meatballs for 3-4 months. For raw meatballs, transfer formed meatballs to a parchment lined cooking sheet and flash freeze for 2 hours. Transfer to a freezer safe container (we like Ziploc freezer bags) and freeze up to 4 months. For cooked meatballs, allow the meatballs to cool completely before transferring to a parchment lined cooking sheet. Flash freeze for 2 hours and transfer to a freezer safe container for up to 4 months.
- Thaw – transfer meatballs from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. For raw meatballs, cook per original recipe instructions. For cooked meatballs, warm according to “reheat” instructions in the below bullet.
- Reheat – lightly mist a frying pan with cooking spray and warm cooked meatballs, covered, over medium-low heat for several minutes until warmed.
What to Eat With Turkey Meatballs
- Pasta – the obvious choice is fresh pasta! Our favorites are long pastas, like fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti, papardelle, or tagliatelle.
- Sauce – marinara sauce is the fan favorite for dipping or twirling into the fresh pasta, but also give alfredo sauce, pesto sauce (like our pumpkin seed pesto, kale pesto, or sundried tomato pesto), vodka sauce, romesco sauce, or pomodoro sauce a try.
- Grains – turkey meatballs are also phenomenal with other grains, like white or brown rice (we like cilantro lime brown rice best), Israeli couscous, or farro.
- Risotto – really elevate your dinner by topping risotto with turkey meatballs. Give our orzo risotto, pesto risotto, or steak and blue cheese risotto (but sub meatballs for steak) a try!
- Bread – we love a good side of bread with our meatballs. Gramma’s white bread and Gramma’s breadsticks are our family favorites. But dinner rolls, garlic bread, or any other bread would also be delightful, especially for soaking up extra sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Use a binding agent, like breadcrumbs, almond meal, or egg, to keep meatballs from falling apart. This recipe uses both almond meal and egg.
Almond meal or rolled oats are easy gluten-free substitutions for breadcrumbs. This recipe calls for almond meal, which gives these meatballs a similar texture to those made with breadcrumbs, but with a richer, subtly nutty flavor.
Turkey meatballs are safe to eat when the internal temperature of the meatballs should be 165F. You can also visually check by cutting the meatball in half and confirming that the insides are no longer pink.
That’s up to your taste! Pan frying gets a nice brown sear on the exterior of the meatballs, adding extra depth. But pans can have hot spots that cause uneven cooking and pan frying can be a little extra work (and mess). Oven baking meatballs yields more even cooking and takes less effort than pan frying, but they aren’t as browned and are more easily overcooked.
Check out these other delicious meatball recipes:
- Turkey meatballs with lemon rosemary sauce
- Healthy turkey Swedish meatballs
- Greek turkey meatball bowls
Let us know what you think about our recipe for gluten-free turkey meatballs by dropping a comment, star rating, and/or sharing on Pinterest/social media! We really appreciate your help in sharing and rating our recipes, as it allows us to continue to bring delicious and healthy recipes to our community!
Turkey Meatballs (Gluten-free & Keto)
Ingredients
- 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
- ⅓ c grated Parmesan
- ¼ c almond meal
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 egg, if needed for binding
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine all meatball ingredients, except olive oil and egg, in a large mixing bowl. If the mixture has trouble holding together, add the egg. Form the mixture into 16 meatballs. Cover and refrigerate until the pan is hot.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the meatballs and cook on one side 2 to 3 minutes, until browned. Turn the meatballs over and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat this process until all sides of the meatballs are browned. In total, it may take 8-10 minutes for the meatballs to be cooked through.
- To check if the meatballs are done, cut one meatball in half and check that the meat is no longer pink. You can also use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached 160℉. Remove the meatballs from heat and tent with foil to rest for 3-4 minutes. During this time the meatballs will continue to cook and will reach an internal temperature of 165℉. Serve with fresh pasta and marinara sauce for a complete dinner. Enjoy!
These are legitimately the best recipe ever! My favorite way to eat them is in Greek gyros with fresh veggies, or molded into 4 turkey burger patties (recipe is the same) and served as Greek turkey burgers. Both of course smothered with homemade Tzatziki sauce 😀